1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an intake manifold for an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to a manifold having interchangeable parts capable of disassembly and reassembly.
2. Background of the Technology
Internal combustion engines generally include an intake manifold. The intake manifold directs air or a fuel and air mixture into the cylinders of the engines where the fuel and air mixture is combusted, releasing mechanical energy to power the engine.
Intake manifolds have been traditionally made by either casting metals into a single component or by forming plastics or polymers into several different pieces that are then permanently bonded together, by, for example, friction welding. Subsequent attempts to disassemble either of the traditional types of manifolds results in severe damage to the intake manifold. Therefore, these construction types have precluded the intake manifold from being tuned to alter individual engine performance, or allowing clearing or removal of excess metal or other material, for example, without completely removing and discarding the current intake manifold and obtaining and installing a new intake manifold. Such replacement is both costly and wasteful. Additionally, removal of the traditional intake manifold destroys the seal between the intake manifold and the engine, exposing internal components of the engine to external debris and contamination. Thus, in order to tune engine performance by means of the intake manifold, e.g., adjusting runner length, a user must essentially purchase an entirely new intake manifold part and subject the engine to potential damage from external contamination, among other things.
Prior art patents disclosing multipiece intake manifolds capable of being disassembled are known, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,566 issued to Thomas and U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,224 issued to Szabo, et al., the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. However, among other things, none of these patents provides for a manifold comprising easily removed and replaced components having different characteristics, such as air inlet size and internal runner shape, to alter engine performance. U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,263 issued to Agnew et al., the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides an improved intake manifold for an internal combustion engine that permits disassembly, replacement or substitution, and reassembly without detriment to the individual intake manifold components. The Agnew manifold has a multiple piece construction comprising, for example, a lower base member, a center runner section, and an upper shell, wherein the upper shell and center runner section fixably attach to the lower base member in such a way that the components can later be disassembled. The center runner section is formed with runner cavities of different shapes that work with the upper shell and the lower shell to change the airflow within the intake manifold and, hence, the way in which the air is delivered to the engine. However, among other things, Agnew does not provide for interchangeable individual runners that function independently from the manifold shell, wherein the runners can be easily removed and replaced without requiring an associated removal and replacement of an upper shell and/or a lower shell in order to alter the air intake qualities, and hence the performance, of an internal combustion engine.